Tuesday

Late last week, Savannah City Manager Stephanie Cutter attended a meeting in which she was briefed on a variety of issues and complaints concerning East Broughton Street club Dosha Ultra Bar & Lounge.

A decision was made that the bar's ownership would be notified of a show-cause hearing before City Council to state why it should keep its alcohol license.

Then early Sunday morning, she was woken by a phone call. A disturbance at the club led to police being called. Then two people were shot a block east. Cutter temporarily suspended Dosha's alcohol license the next day.

"It was just time to do something," she said Tuesday at City Hall. "I think it's very important that we send a message that we want our citizens and our visitors to enjoy Savannah. But most importantly, we want our citizens and our visitors to feel safe.

"At this point, we really felt that that atmosphere was not safe and it was a threat to public safety."

On Tuesday, police announced they had charged two men in connection with the Sunday morning shootings.

Typically, businesses face the loss of a license during a show-cause hearing, but the city manager can issue an emergency suspension if she deems the establishment a threat to public safety, said city spokesman Bret Bell.

The city has had numerous complaints and issues related to Dosha, a club at 128 E. Broughton St., dating back to October - ranging from a verbal warning for loud music and behavior in front of the club to a customer younger than 21 being shot in front of the club, according to information provided by the city Tuesday. Cutter said the city had been receiving complaints about Dosha from adjacent businesses.

In a Jan. 20 letter to the commander of the Savannah-Chatham police department's Downtown Precinct, Charles Roberts, a partner at HLC Hotels, which operates the Marshall House across East Broughton from Dosha, listed several complaints about the club.

The letter details hotel guests' complaints about noise across the street. Roberts wrote that one guest had felt the need to call 911 and asked for compensation for the room, and that another asked for partial compensation.

"The Marshall House has experienced a loss of revenue due to these issues, including canceled reservations and early check-outs," Roberts wrote, attributing some negative reviews of the hotel to noise issues across the street.

Roberts wrote that hotel management was "concerned about the safety and security of our guests and employees."

In late January, city officials held an administrative review, a precursor to license suspension, and the owner, identified as Darrell Bryant, was supposed to provide an operations plan, Bell said. The city has yet to receive that plan, he said.

Bryant told WJCL, the paper's news partner, that his club was not connected to the Sunday morning shootings.

The business will have an opportunity for a show-cause hearing before City Council to reverse the suspension.

The hearing is likely to take place at the March 20 council meeting, after the club's owner is formally informed of the hearing at the March 6 council meeting.

"They'll come before council and present their case as to why they should be allowed to serve alcohol," Cutter said.

Calls to a number listed for Dosha went unanswered Tuesday, and the club was not open.

2 charged in shootings

Police on Tuesday announced they have charged two men in connection with the shootings in downtown Savannah early Sunday morning that injured two people and closed down East Broughton Street for hours.

Rajed Ervin, 22, of the 2200 block of Mason Drive, was detained Sunday morning near the scene, said Eunicia Baker, Savannah-Chatham police spokeswoman. Sean Brooks, 24, of the 2200 block of East 38th Street, was arrested Monday morning at his residence, Baker said. Both men are charged with aggravated assault.

Police believe them to be involved with shootings on the 200 block of East Broughton Street just after 1 a.m. Sunday that left a 25-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman with non-life-threatening wounds, Baker said. Police were called to Dosha to break up a fight when shots were fired. Violent crimes detectives are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the shootings.

Police are asking anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

Investigators can be reached confidentially at 912-525-3124.

INCIDENTS AT DOSHA INVOLVING THE CITY

• Oct. 25: Verbal warning for loud music and behavior of patrons in front of the club.

• Nov. 29: Police dispatched twice to club on complaints of noise from large crowds, gunshots fired and fighting outside establishment.

• Jan. 12: Customer, 18, shot in front of club after leaving Dosha. No one from bar reports gunfire or any altercation, and when police respond, doorman denies anything happened.

• Jan. 14: Three employees cited for working without a server permit, and owner Darrell Bryant cited for failure to maintain records for bar card personnel.

• Jan. 12 and 14: Police witness strong odor of marijuana and smoke haze inside club during check of club.

• Jan. 20: A letter of complaint by the Marshall House lists 13 separate dates between Oct. 25 and Jan. 19 when guests complained about loud noise, fighting and other disturbances from Dosha. Hotel says it has lost revenue due to canceled reservations, early check-outs and bad reviews due to those disturbances.

• Jan. 21: Police dispatched twice to club, first on a fight and then for a noise disturbance involving loud music.